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4 .T T O 0 T S E W .W N

(No Model.)

CIRCULAR WEFT THREAD KNITTING LOOM.

Patented I'eb. 21.1882.

(No Model) 7 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. N. W. WESTOOTT. CIRCULAR WEFT THREAD KNITTING LOOM. N 0. 254,079. Patented Peb. 21,1882. 1 v I W a 2 1 v 4 \J v d/ W n l Y W! I V i UNITED- STATES PATENT FFIC.

NATHANIEL W. IV ESTOOTT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

CIRCULAR WEFT-TH READ KNlTTlNG-LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,079, dated February 21, 1882.

- Application filedAugusts, 1881. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL W. WEST- COTT, of the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have inventedanew and useful Improvement in Gircular Weft-Thread Knitting-Looms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to knitting-machines of that class wherein a weft or filling is introduced into the fabric; and its object is to render more simple the construction and more sure the operation of such machines in certain particulars to which end it consists in the peculiar devices and combinations of devices more particularly hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top view of the machine, some of the parts being broken away; Fig. 2, a side elevation with the camplates broken away on each side of the center; Fig. 3, a bottom view'of the main cylinder and bed-plate; Fig. 4, a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the main cylinder, needle-slide ring, and cam-plates and holders, the weftwheel and stopmotion being shown in elevation; Fig. 5, a front elevation of parts of the stop-motion; Fig. 6, an elevation of a portion of the cam-plates and their holder; Fig. 7, a top view of the weft-wheel; Fig. 8, an elevation of a portion of the circular ratchet with which the lever of the stop-motion engages, and the loose ring moved by such lever; ,and Fig. 9 a top view of the stop-motion, the same being a horizontal section on line 9 9, Fig. 4..

Like letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

- A is the main cylinder, resting on a seat on the hexagonal bed-plate B, which bed-plate has arms D, for frame-work and vertical supports. The cylinder A is rotated'by friction, spur, or bevel-gear wheels, connected therewith at its bottom a, as will be well understood. The needles S move with said cylinder,

their jacks or slides I being guided by vertical guide-plates held by a ring secured removably to the cylinder, as will be presently explained. These needle-jacks have toes K, which move in the cam-slot L, formed by the stationary platesL L These cam-plates are held by has a rise or takes an upwardly-inclined course,

as shown at Z, for the purpose of raising the needles to be acted on by the filling-wheel, and e to catch the thread which forms the loops. From the highest point, I, the cam-slot drops, as shown at P, with an inclination about the same as the rise 1, to the point 1 where the slot immediately rises again at 1 At the pointsl the cam-slot only accommodates the toe of one needle. When the toe of a needle is at one of the points Z the needle has completed a loop of the fabric, and has drawn the loop through the loop previously formed by the same needle to its lowest position.

By having the angles l -capable of receiving only one needle-toe at a time the loops will be formed singly at each point of formation, and the threads will not be strained to the extent that they would be if several loops were made simultaneously. Consequently the danger of breaking the thread at these points is greatly lessened. From the rise 1* the cam-slot extends horizontally, as shown at 1 a sufficient distance to accommodate the toes of a number of needles-for instance, a dozen or more. The horizontal portions Z of the slot are lo cated in a plane between the highest and lowest points, l 1 of the slot, and the purpose of these horizontal portions is to raise the hooks of the needles above the top of the cylinder, so

that broken threads can be readily mended. The opportunity for mending is afforded after the needles pass each point where the loops are formed, and consequently no holes will be made in the cloth, as is the case where one point only is provided for mending.

In a machine made according to my invention, having a cylinder thirty inches in diameter, there will be twenty points at which the loops of the fabric Willbe formed.

From the horizontal portions Z the cam-slot drops to points I, for'the purpose of withdrawing the hooks of the needles below thetop of the cylinder before they are raised by the inclines l to be'divided by the filling-wheel, and to catch the thread which forms the loops.

In the space formed by each horizontal portion of the cam-slot, or in as many of such spaces as desired, means will be provided for removing and replacing needles. This means will consist simply of a suitable vertical slot in the upper cam-plate, through which a needle can be withdrawn or inserted. This ver tical slot will be closed by a suitable plug, except when it is to be used. This slot is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, with a top view of a part showing the head of the plug.

The cam-plates are not surrounded by any exterior case or ring, andthe toes K are always in sight and can be pushed in either direction by the fingers should they stick in the cam-slot.

P is the weft or filling wheel, which is provided with teeth 1) and notches p and has a circumferential groove, 1), in the ends of the teeth. This wheel is supported in a horizontal position at right angles to the movement of the needles by a rod, E. It is located above the top edge of the cylinder and within the circle formed by the needles, and is adjustable upon the rod E, by means of a ring and setscrew, for the purpose of regulating its position with relation to the needles. One ofthese filling-wheels has its center located opposite and above each. point Z of the cam-slot, and its teeth and notches are so spaced that alternate needles will rise through the slots 12 in being forced up by incline I, while the other needles will strike the points of the teeth 1) and be forced outwardly to a slight degree by them.

Each rod E carries a thread-guide, P, on its end,from which thefilling-threadpassesarouud the groove 12 of the filling-wheel and on opposite sides of the intervening needles to the fabric being formed. The ends of the teeth 1) of the filling-wheel are beveled to prevent the needles from striking and catching on the edge of the wheel, while the notches 11 may have a downward flare for the same purpose. In rising the needles pass alternately on opposite sides of the filling-thread as it lies in the groove 12. The distance-from the center of each filling-wheel to where the fabric is formed (above the point 1 need only be about an inch and a half. This distance is so short that the tension on the filling-thread between the fabric and the wheel keeps such filling-thread down under the latches and prevents it from being carried up by the movement of the needles without the use of hooks or other special devices to hold the filling down.

His the needle-slide ring, which is a castiron ring fitted over the upper end of the cylinder and secured by screws h, with countersunk heads, so that the ring can be readily removed from the cylinder and replaced by another ring adapted for coarser or finer work. Parallel vertical channels are grooved in the exterior surface of the ring H, in which channels are driven the guide-plates B. When a guide-plate gets damaged or broken it can be driven out of its channel and a new plate driven into its place without disturbing anyof the other guide-plates. The ring H is provided with a shoulder,h, at its upper edge, extending entirely around the same, which shoulder acts as a support and bearing-guide for the needles, to make the same work true.

The stop-motion employed by me is as follows: A ring, G, is slipped over the cylinder A below the needle-slide ring, and secured thereto so as to turn with the same. This ring has upwardly-projecting ratchet-teeth throughout its circumference. Outside of ratchet-ring G is a loose ring, M, which remains stationary, except when the stopping mechanism is acting. This ring M at one point is connected with the shipping device, of the usual or any suitable form, by means of aswinging lever, Z, such lever having a toothed sector, 2, on one end, engaging with cog-teeth 2 on the ring M. At each point where the loop-threads are introduced into the fabric are located two vertical wires or rods, V, having eyes or books in their upper ends, through which the loopthreads pass. These wires are guided by fiat or round tubes or guides X, supported on their outer edges from and above a pivoted block, F. A lever, Y, is pivoted in the block F, and is weighted to drop on ratchet-ring G when not held in an elevated position. This lever is held up by a latch, O, engaging at one end with a notch, 3,1, in lever Y, and having its other end weighted and projecting under the open lower ends of the tubes or guides X. Now, if either thread breaks, the wire or rod V supported by it will drop on latch 0, disengaging it from the lever Y, and allowing such lever Y to fall upon ratchet G. The end of lever Y will be carried around a short distance by the movement of ratchet G, the pivoted block F permitting this movement, and will move ring M through a pin, m, and opcrate the shipper through lever Z. When the thread is mended the lever Y will be raised from ratchet-ring G and turned with ring M back to the first position, and again. locked in a raised or tilted position by latch 0.

What I claim is-- 1. The combination, with the cylinder and the needles, of the solid needle-slide ring removably secured to the outside of the cylinder, and the guide-plates secured in vertical grooves in said ring, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the cylinder and the needles, of the solid needle-slide ring H, removably secured to the outside of the cylinder and having shoulder h, and the guideplates R, secured in vertical grooves in said ring, substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination, with the vertical wires or rods of the stop-motion, of a lever, a latch' supporting said lever in an elevated position,

and a ratchet-ring engaging said lever when released and operating the shipper, substantially as set forth.

4. The pivoted block F, vertical wires or rods guides X, of the vertical wires V, as and for i the purposes set forth. I

7. The combination, with the bolts T and rings 0 O, of the cam-plates L L secured to said rings, and the thirnble t and nuts t, as and for the purposes set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 20 2d day of July, 1881.

NATHANIEL W. WESTUOTT.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. SPOFORD, JAMEs W. FISK. 

